by Victor C.
Euro 2020 has been a tournament to savour. There have been so many thrills, spills and rip-roaring matches - and there is still plenty of time to go before a winner is crowned. There have been some unpredictable results as well, and many are struggling to predict the tournament winner as they agonise over the Euros 2023 betting odds.
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There have been some standout individual performers in the tournament so far, and the battle for the Player of the Tournament award is set to be extremely closely fought. Let's zero in on a few of the standout players from the group stage and last 16.
With the absence of Virgil van Dijk, responsibility fell on the shoulders of Georginio Wijnaldum to lead his country at Euro 2020. He led by example in the group stage, notching the opening goal of their 3-2 win over Ukraine, before bagging a brace in their final group match against North Macedonia. Wijnaldum is heading to Paris Saint-Germain this summer after running down his contract at Liverpool, and Mauricio Pochettino will be pleased with his acquisition on the basis of Wijnaldum's Euro 2020 form.
For England, Raheem Sterling has stepped up when it mattered most at this tournament. Gareth Southgate's side haven't played the kind of fluid football many wish to see from England, but Sterling has been on hand to provide vital goals. He scored the winning goals against both Croatia and the Czech Republic in the group stage, before bagging the crucial opener against Germany in the last 16. After a difficult spell with Manchester City towards the end of the season, Sterling has certainly repaid Southgate's faith.
The Czech Republic have been something of a surprise package at this tournament, knocking out the Netherlands in the last 16. Striker Patrik Schick has been at the heart of their success, notching four goals so far at these Euros. The standout strike came in their win over Scotland, as he produced a sensational curling effort from near the halfway line which left stranded goalkeeper David Marshall with no chance. Schick scored the second against the Dutch to seal the Czechs' spot in the quarter-finals, and he's certainly made a name for himself over the past few weeks.
Although the Netherlands' campaign ended in disappointment, the form of Denzel Dumfries is a major positive. The right-back was sensational in the group stage, providing plenty of attacking impetus from wide areas, even bagging a couple of goals for himself in the wins over Ukraine and Austria. There has been plenty of rumours linking Dumfries with moves to bigger clubs, and it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for the PSV Eindhoven man.
Sweden suffered an agonising last-gasp extra-time defeat to Ukraine in the last 16, but the performances of Emil Forsberg were the main reason they got to the knockout stage in the first place. His winning penalty against Slovakia in the group stage earned a vital win for Sweden, while a brace against Poland ensured they finished top of the standings ahead of Spain. Forsberg also scored in the defeat to Ukraine, but it wasn't meant to be for Sweden this year.
About Victor C.
Victor is a highly acclaimed sports writer known for his insightful analysis and captivating storytelling. Born and raised in a small town, he developed a deep passion for sports from an early age. He excelled in both academics and athletics throughout his school years, which laid the foundation for his future career.
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Vanhawks